Monday 31 July 2017

Goal setting...

No photos today - sorry folks, but I have set some goals for August, and hopefully, by writing them down here, I will be accountable to cross off as many as I can.

In a message on a Yahoo group that I belong to, one of the members asked:  
  • How about you?  Do you have plans for August??

And here is my reply; 

Why, yes I do, thank you for asking! :)  My August plans are:

  1. Continue to quilt  my version of "Dancing Nines" 
  2. Bind Dancing Nines.
  3. Complete "Bali Bluster" quilt top - it's in many, many pieces at the moment and is made up of Birds in the Air blocks.
  4. Layer, baste and quilt Bali Bluster quilt and hopefully get the binding done too.
  5. Work on Splendid Sampler blocks.
  6. If I get done on the above, pull out "Garden Gate" kiddie flimsy to baste/quilt for a baby, which is not due until Feb - but I'm pretty slow at hand-sewing binding.
To tally up:
- Dancing Nines is an UFO from Aug 2016 (pattern by Bonnie Hunter)  
- Bali Bluster was started on 21/07/17 - new start 10 days ago in a class at my local group.
- Splendid Sampler I started in May this year when the second sew-a-long started.
- Garden Gate is an UFO from October 2014.  (see this post)

These are big goals for me, as I'm not as fast as some at quilting/binding, but I'm being very optimistic.  Two UFO's and one new start to be completed by end Aug.

It feels good to have this out of my head and written down.  This list has been printed and put up in my sewing room so that I can have the satisfaction of crossing things off a list! 

Monday 17 July 2017

Entally Historic House

There's nothing quite like the feeling of something finished - and this cross stitch is one of those things.

The kit was given to me by my neighbour approximately 3 or 4 years ago after her mother passed away.
Entally House - Tasmania
I worked on this cross stitch a lot during last year but didn't finish it.

This year, while between houses and staying in temporary accommodation, I needed something to do in the evenings, so out it came.  Turns out, all I had to stitch was the tree!

One of my close friends and her husband are picture framers - so off it went, and this is how it came back...

I am absolutely thrilled - the framing is perfect.  My husband is the photographer while I am holding the picture and he has caught his own reflection... but I really wanted to show off how good it looks framed.  I'll have to scout around and try to find a better picture to replace this one with - but I was in a rush before gift wrapping it, and so it was quickly snapped, without thought.

The tale of Entally House cross-stitch, continued until I gave it to the neighbour mentioned above for her '0' birthday.  She actually had nothing to say when I first gave it to her.  My husband said she's pretty chuffed.  A gift with personal meaning, stitched and given with love.